Letters: Recall bottom line

People of El Paso, for the last time. the recall is not a gay or lesbian issue.

Your vote was trampled on, was nullified by the mayor, "His Holy Highness Cook," and his "disciples." Now he has added to his court a jester, Tim Hardaway.

My question to this new addition is, Do you live in El Paso, Tim? If not, then go back to school and concentrate on your game.

Now, Mr. Cook, what is your next trick? The parting of the Rio Grande for a mass exodus from Juárez? Or perhaps the feeding of 5,000 homeless with two burgers and some fries?

You are not God and your cohorts are not above the law. You were voted into office by those you now decide to ignore.

The real issue deals with you and your clowns doing what was voted on. Don't confuse the real issue.

The county commissioners heard the voice of the people. Why can't, or won't, you?

Fred Candelaria

Central El Paso

Term limits

After World War II, America became a highly distinguished and respected world power. America today is struggling to survive.

Our Congress' performance has been a source of discontent and grave concern; the impact between warring political parties could undermine America's future.

Recent political debates clearly exemplify why power in government is irresponsibly out of control. For a member of Congress to reach out and compromise is to be insubordinate to party politics. It is unfortunate that partisan politics too often is placed ahead of our national interest.

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The guiding principles embodied within our Constitution have yet to fulfill the promise of representative democracy: government of the people, by the people, for the people.

This issue must be resolved. A first step to such a result cannot wait.

Our principal goal should be to limit the power legislators can obtain over the years. Thus, no person should be elected for more than two four-year terms in the House of Representatives. Similarly, no person should be elected for more than two six-year terms in the Senate.

In moving forward, we need to remind ourselves that ours is a nation of laws, not men.

Gus Sambrano Sr.

Central El Paso

Rude at checkpoint

My son and I, traveling west, recently encountered a "border check," reminiscent of a Czech Republic crossing years ago, when five uniformed officers officiously checked three passports. I later quipped the Czechs needed a healthy dose of capitalism.

Outside Cruces recently, my son and I were stopped by an entourage of eight officers. The drug dog had allegedly become agitated as we neared the checkpoint, an emotional state not verified by my passenger vantage point.

My son was driving my elderly Honda because his elderly mother was a passenger, with a breathing apparatus and a walker.

We were told to exit the car. "Can she walk?" the leader asked my son, despite his not addressing me.

Some five officers surrounded us, one rudely asking questions while the dog led the others calmly through the car and trunk.

When my son asked about a search warrant, they replied the dog's mythic agitation was sufficient.

When the fruitlessness of the endeavor became obvious, they said we could go -- no apology.

If this is how government hiring handles unemployment, or if this police-state effort is how we stop illegal drugs, our future looks dim indeed.

Anne Holder

West El Paso

Helicopters unsafe

Every week, Channel 13, our public television station, shows pictures of our military personnel killed in Afghanistan the previous week.

I cannot stop thinking about our soldiers dying in these foreign countries every day.

But this villager in Afghanistan was quoted in the Aug. 7 El Paso Times, "Every night the helicopters are flying over our house." He was referring to the 30 U.S. troops killed when their Chinook helicopter was shot down in western Afghanistan.

It was known in the Vietnam war that a single soldier with a rocket projectile on a rifle or some sort of hand-operated launching device could disable and destroy even the most sophisticated aircraft.

Helicopters are probably the least safe of any aircraft, and yet our military leaders send our finest human beings on the same course, probably at the same altitude, every night into harm's way.

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